“Now obviously, I won’t be able to respond to all of you individually, but I did want you to know that I do read everything I receive,” he said. “And I am thankful for the kind words, the prayers and the advice you have offered, and I’m extremely touched by the warmth you have expressed in your comments to me.”

The 78-year-old revealed his cancer diagnosis in a YouTube video last week, vowing “to fight this” and “to keep working.”